University Life | The Elm Archive

The New ‘Elm’ Launches Thursday, Feb. 7

The Elm, the dynamic, collaborative website the Office of Communications and Public Affairs created in 2013 to allow the UMB community to interact online, is getting even better. The new Elm will debut Thursday, Feb. 7, offering the following features:

Each of UMB’s seven schools has a dedicated page of its own to tailor content to its specific audience.
Enhanced filters allow users to find information they are interested in, by filtering content by topic or audience, whether for students, faculty, staff, or alumni.
A section called Accolades has been added where UMB people can be acknowledged for the work they do — be it by co-worker or someone in the community.
Voices & Opinions allows you to share your perspective on an issue that matters to you.
An improved UMB social media component aggregates social media content from all UMB social media accounts.
The new Elm’s homepage and each school’s corresponding homepage include navigational links at the bottom that help you find the most important UMB resources fast.
An improved Elm Weekly, greater access to University news, and many other enhancements are part of the new Elm. See for yourself by visiting this preview.

Beginning Thursday, content from the original Elm will be available at wp.elm.umaryland.edu/

Communications and Public AffairsBulletin Board, UMB News, University Administration, University Life, USGAFebruary 6, 20190 comments

February President’s Message

Check out the February issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on his Panel on Politics and Policy; sexual harassment addressed at Q&A; the new Elm is coming to the UMB website; Police Chief Cary reflects on her first six months; art and literary journal, 1807, to launch; 20 employees benefit from Live Near Your Work Program in 2018; campus climate survey coming in mid-February; and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.

Back issues of the newsletter can be found in the archives.

Chris ZangABAE, Bulletin Board, Clinical Care, Collaboration, Community Service, Contests, Education, For B'more, People, Research, Technology, UMB News, University Life, USGAFebruary 5, 20190 comments

UMB Scholars for Recovery: Substance Use Disorder Peer Support Group

The mission of UMB Scholars for Recovery is to create a recovery-friendly environment on campus and increase peer support among students suffering with, and in recovery from, substance use disorders. Student input is welcome as we build this community.

Please join us each Monday, Feb. 25 to May 6, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for our substance use disorder peer support group at the School of Social Work, Room 3E29H. Attendance at our peer support meeting is open to all students in recovery from or seeking recovery from substance use disorders.

Rebecca GibsonPeople, University LifeFebruary 4, 20190 comments

Join Us in March for the ‘Me and White Supremacy Workbook’ Circle

Part education, part activation, the Me and White Supremacy Workbook by Layla F. Saad is a first-of-its-kind personal anti-racism tool for people holding white privilege to begin to examine and dismantle their complicity in the oppressive system of white supremacy.

The Me and White Supremacy Workbook is meant to be completed over the course of 28 days, which includes reading and completing journal prompts each day.

The Anti-Oppression Work Group, the Alliance for Anti-Racist Social Work Practitioners, and the Intersectional Feminist Social Workers are working together to organize a weekly meeting in March where a group can meet to reflect upon this journey and this work.

Attendance at the meetings is not required to complete the workbook and you are more than welcome to join the groups as much or as little as you would like during this process.

What’s next? For now, the Anti-Oppression Work Group is collecting information to come up with a plan for these weekly meetings. If you are interested, please fill out our Google form and you will be included in the emails as we finalize our plans for the group.

To look further into the work and the author, and to download the entire workbook for free, go to this link.

Please contact sswantioppressionworkgroup@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Chelsea GrayBulletin Board, Collaboration, Education, People, University LifeFebruary 4, 20190 comments

School of Law’s Gibson Wins MLK Faculty Award

The Elm is featuring stories on the keynote speaker and three Diversity Recognition Award winners leading up to UMB’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at MSTF Leadership Hall. You can register to attend the event here.

Today: Outstanding UMB Faculty Larry S. Gibson

Larry S. Gibson, LLB, has filled many roles in a lifetime dedicated to advancing equality, justice, and opportunity for African-Americans: law professor, civil rights attorney, political strategist, author, historian, and deputy attorney general of the United States, just to name a few.

But there’s another role that hits home at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he teaches: mentor.

“There are countless examples of people who have attributed their success to Professor Gibson,” says Andrew Altshuler, MS, director of alumni engagement in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at Maryland Carey Law. “He’s always willing to assist students and alumni, no matter their background, in making connections, providing mentorship, and supporting them in any way he can, in a selfless manner, for their betterment.

“As someone who meets with staff and alumni frequently, whenever Professor Gibson’s name comes up in my conversations, it is always in the most positive way,” Altshuler adds. “He has truly impacted many people throughout his career and will continue to do so.”

Gibson founded and organizes the Black Law Alumni Reunion & Symposium, which has been held every five years at Maryland Carey Law since 2003. The most recent symposium, held in September 2018, provided opportunities for former classmates to reconnect and featured an event that honored the founding members of the Black Law Students Association as well as faculty presentations titled “Frederick Douglass’ Escape from Maryland” and “Racial Epithets in the Workplace.”

For his efforts in organizing the symposium, as well as his distinguished career of promoting civil rights and social justice, Gibson earned the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Diversity Recognition Award as Outstanding UMB Faculty and will be honored at the University’s Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month ceremony Feb. 6.

“Ever since Professor Gibson started at Maryland Law more than four decades ago, promoting equality, justice, and opportunity for all has been one of his main goals,” Altshuler said in his nomination. “The Black Law Alumni Reunion is a celebration of the history of African-American alumni and law students. It highlights the ability to enact change through legal justice both in the Baltimore community and in the world, providing the ability for all individuals to be treated equal. Attendees of the reunion and other alumni who have had the opportunity to learn from Professor Gibson have greatly benefited from being part of his network.”

The seeds of that vast network were planted in Baltimore, where Gibson grew up, earned his high school diploma from Baltimore City College, and was the school’s first African-American class officer. In 1964, he graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he was the student body president and chair of D.C. Students for Civil Rights. In 1967, he earned his law degree from Columbia University in New York.

In 1972, Gibson became the first African-American law professor at the University of Virginia, and two years later he accepted a faculty position at the University of Maryland School of Law.

He was associate deputy attorney general of the United States under President Jimmy Carter and has run local, state, and national political campaigns, including as Maryland chairman for the Clinton-Gore presidential ticket in 1992.

Gibson’s extensive civic engagement includes serving on the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust, as chair of the Commission to Coordinate the Study, Commemoration and Impact of the History and Legacy of Slavery in Maryland, and on the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. He also has researched, written, and designed numerous exhibits, articles, newspaper serial stories, and other presentations on the history of civil rights and African-American lawyers in Maryland.

Gibson was the principal advocate for the 2005 law passed by the Maryland General Assembly that renamed the regional airport BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. His 2012 book, Young Thurgood: The Making of a Supreme Court Justice, was the first to focus exclusively on Marshall’s formative years in Maryland.

In a 2012 Baltimore Sun article about the book, Gibson’s law partner and best friend, Ron Shapiro, said, “It takes people like Thurgood Marshall to change history by changing the law. And it takes people like Larry Gibson to use activism to implement those changes in the streets and homes and lives of African-Americans.”

Learn more about UMB’s Black History Month Celebration and read about all the 2019 Diversity Recognition Award winners.

Communications and Public AffairsCollaboration, Education, People, UMB News, University LifeFebruary 4, 20190 comments

Human Resources’ Adams Wins MLK Staff Award

Today: Outstanding UMB Staff Cherita F. Adams

For Cherita F. Adams, MBA, MS, promoting career advancement is more than a full-time job, it’s a mission that extends beyond the workplace.

“Changing someone’s career trajectory can change their life,” says Adams, career development manager in the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Office of Human Resources (HR). “Outside of UMB — in the community and in my church — I do work to help others seek career advancement. Shirley Chisolm said, ‘Service is the rent that you pay for room on the Earth.’ And I believe when one is given a platform, no matter how big or small, it is their responsibility to use that platform to serve others.”

With her platform at UMB, Adams works to facilitate career advancement programs and pathways for University employees, especially staff at lower-paid positions, such as housekeepers, security guards, and maintenance workers — roles often filled by under-represented minorities. For these efforts, Adams earned a 2019 Diversity Recognition Award as Outstanding UMB Staff Member and will be honored at the University’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration Feb. 6. It’s a special honor, Adams says, because King’s legacy resonates.

“Over 50 years ago, Dr. King said, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?’ I often ask myself this very question and hope that my actions are positively contributing to others. And winning this award is proof positive!” Adams says with a smile.

“Dr. King’s words and legacy are timeless. He was courageous and selflessly fought for civil rights and social justice. My mission may not be as big as his was, but nonetheless I am committed to the fight.”

The seeds for Adams’ current mission were planted three years ago, when an HR study showed that nearly three-quarters of UMB employees reported they’d had no positive personnel actions, that there wasn’t sufficient opportunity for career advancement. To address this need, the career development manager position was created, and Adams quickly identified a major issue, particularly for those in lower-paid positions: the lack of basic computer skills.

Adams implemented an Introduction to Computers class that is open to all employees but specifically designed for housekeepers, security guards, and maintenance workers. The eight-week course, which provides an overview of the basic functions of personal computers and how to use them, has produced 20 graduates since its inception in April 2017 and led to a second, more advanced course.

In nominating Adams for the award, Ebony Nicholson, MSW, academic coordinator, diversity and inclusion initiatives, Office of Interprofessional Student Learning and Service Initiatives, says the introductory course has proved popular with UMB employees. And it gets results.

“Several participants have been able to use work email more effectively, independently complete electronic timesheets, improve personal home computing, and apply for positions at UMB,” she says while adding praise for the many hats Adams wears on the job. “Cherita serves as not only program creator, but also as an advisor, planner, coordinator, and collaborator for career services with the intent to build a high-performing and engaged workforce.”

Adams is particularly proud of the introductory class, saying the ability to use a computer is an indispensable life skill.

“One cannot grow their career without increasing their technology competencies,” says Adams, who has worked at UMB for six years. “Creating career ladders without an opportunity to learn requisite skills to ascend the ladder is problematic. So developing the Introduction to Computers class was a targeted learning opportunity for employees who might not otherwise have had an opportunity to sit in a classroom and learn.

“I’ve watched employees not only learn new computer skills that have aided them in applying for new positions, but they also have started new home businesses and can assist their children with homework and teach family members computer skills.”

In addition to the successful computer class, Adams helped to craft a coaching program for female employees through a collaboration with the University’s UMBrella Group. And she has other ideas percolating, including a program she’d like to implement that she calls Passport to Success.

“Passport to Success would be patterned after services provided as part of the workforce stability model aimed at improving the retention of lower-skilled, front-line employees by increasing employee engagement and growth through the removal of barriers that interfere with maintaining employment. As a result, the model aids employees in moving toward greater professional satisfaction and control over their lives.”

As for winning the Diversity Recognition Award, Adams says it was “amazing” to even be nominated, and she appreciates her supervisors for giving her the freedom to craft her position. But the award is about much more than herself, she says.

“It’s more so about the outcome of the work I do and the lives that have been positively impacted,” Adams says. “Removing barriers to employment opportunities is important, necessary work. This award acknowledges that work and its importance while honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I think that’s wonderful.”

— Lou Cortina

Learn more about UMB’s Black History Month Celebration and read about all the 2019 Diversity Recognition Award winners.

Lou CortinaCollaboration, People, UMB News, University LifeJanuary 31, 20191 comment

1896 Football Team from the Bones, Molars, and Briefs yearbook

Football at UMB: HS/HSL Historical Highlight

As we count down the days until the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams face off in Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, Feb. 3, what better time than now to revisit the history of football at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)? While it’s no longer a club or University sport, football, as well as other team sports such as ice hockey, was once supported at UMB.

Football at UMB was first organized by Dr. Norfleet Mann Gibbs, University of Maryland School of Medicine Class of 1896. Gibbs was called “the father of athletics at the University of Maryland,” by the 1896 Bones, Molar, and Briefs yearbook. The first team was fielded at midseason in 1895, playing two games against St. John’s College of Annapolis and City College of Baltimore. The following year, the Athletic Association of UMB was formed among faculty and students at the school. The association elected team managers and coaches for football, baseball, and hockey. Teams had no practice fields, no financial support, and at times little enthusiasm or backing from students or faculty, yet they played an average seven games a year with some success.

As time went by, football grew in popularity, yet the financial strain and lack of facilities continued to cause problems. The football team enjoyed a strong rivalry with Johns Hopkins University and occasionally played the Maryland Agricultural College (today’s University of Maryland, College Park).

The demands of coursework and labs worked to the detriment of UMB football teams that suffered from a low turnout of talented players. To put this into numerical perspective, only 2 percent of available students participated in athletics at UMB, while at other schools 10 to 25 percent of students joined teams. By 1908, only 12 years after its founding, the Athletic Association of UMB was disbanded. Football had a small resurgence in 1912 but was again disbanded in 1914. In 1920, when the University of Maryland and the Maryland Agricultural College merged, students at the Baltimore campus could again participate in athletics through the College Park campus. At that time, the football team was led by coach Harry Clifton “Curley” Byrd.

Perhaps while watching Super Bowl LIII, or at the next sporting event you attend, try out some of these Maryland cheers and yells from the 1903 Bones, Molars, and Briefs yearbook.

Air (Tune of Dooley)
Oh, Johnnie Hopkins,
Oh, Johnnie Hopkins,
The bummest team the College ever knew.
We’re going to beat you,
We will defeat you,
And Maryland will wave over J.H.U.

Yell
Heart, liver, kidney, spleen.
We’re sterile, aseptic, we like things clean:
Chew ’em up, tear ’em up, eat ’em alive,
U. of M., U. of M., 1905.

(Photo: 1896 football team from the Bones, Molars, and Briefs yearbook)

Everly BrownPeople, University LifeJanuary 30, 20190 comments

School of Social Work’s Gonzalez-Wright Wins MLK Student Award

Over the next week, The Elm will feature stories on the three Diversity Recognition Award winners leading up to UMB’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at MSTF Leadership Hall. You can register to attend the event here.

Today: Outstanding UMB Student Vanessa Gonzalez-Wright

Vanessa Gonzalez-Wright has turned advocacy for students into action along several avenues during her nearly three years at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), working tirelessly to make an impact that’s long-lasting and in at least one respect indelible.

A School of Social Work student set to earn her MSW degree this spring, Gonzalez-Wright has been a relentless advocate for students with diverse backgrounds, working with UMB’s Office of Interprofessional Student Learning and Service Initiatives (ISLSI), the student group Latinx Unidos for Community Healing and Awareness (LUCHA), and as co-chair of a Universitywide task force exploring the establishment of a multicultural center on campus.

“Activism has always been a part of who I am and what I strive to accomplish in my personal life as well as my career,” says Gonzalez-Wright, a Los Angeles native who earned a sociology degree from Cal State Northridge. “My parents are emigrants from Mexico and El Salvador who came to this country with a dream to provide their children with more opportunities than they could have ever imagined for themselves. They were only able to attend school up to third grade, which is why advocating for students to have an educational space that is validating and supportive is an important part of who I am.”

For these efforts, Gonzalez-Wright will receive a Diversity Recognition Award as Outstanding UMB Student at the University’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration on Feb. 6. Courtney J. Jones Carney, MBA, director of ISLSI and a member of UMB’s Diversity Advisory Council, says the award is well-deserved and quite fitting, particularly as it relates to a potential multicultural center.

“The exploration of a multicultural center directly connects to the ideals of Dr. King,” Jones Carney said in her nomination. “A multicultural center has the purpose of providing a safe place, lessons on advocacy for self and others, and examples of pride in one’s community. Vanessa’s role in shaping a multicultural center will have a direct impact on how traditionally underserved and under-represented racial minorities and LGBT+ students experience the UMB campus. Her efforts will help propel UMB toward its long-term diversity and inclusion goals.

“Vanessa’s dedication to working across disciplines and with various faculty and staff members on campus also shows her commitment to interprofessionalism and collaboration,” Jones Carney added. “Vanessa believes it’s important for all students to utilize their privilege to help create opportunity for students of all identities to have a supportive community on campus that provides an inclusive space for self-expression and a sense of belonging.”

Formed through student advocacy, the task force consists of representatives from UMB’s six professional schools and interdisciplinary Graduate School. Gonzalez-Wright and co-chair Patty Alvarez, PhD, UMB’s assistant vice president of student affairs, conducted focus groups with student leaders in each school and issued a survey to better understand the needs, attitudes, and recommendations related to a possible multicultural center. They plan to turn in a proposal to UMB leaders by the end of January.

“Participating as a co-leader of the student group LUCHA confirmed the need for students of color to have a space on campus where they can build community and solidarity,” says Gonzalez-Wright, who plans to stay in Baltimore after graduation and work to support students in higher education. “I look forward to witnessing the positive impact that a multicultural center can have on our campus.”

Asked how she found the time for these efforts while working on her master’s degree, Gonzalez-Wright admitted the balancing act was difficult. She thanked her husband, Jordan, for his support and encouragement and acknowledged fellow students, LUCHA co-leader BreeAnn Lopez, and mentors who champion diversity and inclusion efforts at UMB.

“Activism is working as a collective to impact the needs of the greater population. Working with other students, faculty, and staff as well as partnering with organizations is crucial to the success of student organizing at UMB,” Gonzalez-Wright says. “Receiving this award brings a moment of reflection and gratitude for the opportunities I’ve received the past three years to not only receive an education in a field I truly love, but also to advocate for UMB to be a place where students are validated and supported in their educational journey as well as in their identity.

“One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King is, ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ As a student advocating for systemic change, it was draining and uncomfortable at many times, but the lessons and growth that I have experienced have greatly outweighed the challenge.”

— Lou Cortina

Learn more about UMB’s Black History Month Celebration and read about all of the 2019 Diversity Recognition Award winners.

Lou CortinaCollaboration, Community Service, Education, People, UMB News, University Life, USGAJanuary 28, 20190 comments

The HS/HSL’s Library Genie Responds

The Health Sciences and Human Services Library’s (HS/HSL) Library Genie heard your calls for free printing, nap pods, more rolling/comfy chairs, coffee/snack options, and more standing desks. Some of these ideas are being investigated and others are on their way.

Look for more of your favorite chairs, new padded seat cushions, and more mobile standing desks in the near future. We are evaluating what can be done to ease those coffee and snack cravings as you spend hours studying in the library.

Free printing is an understandable wish but more difficult to tackle as we provide printing and copying paper on a cost-recovery basis to keep the equipment functioning. While we will not be investing in nap pods, we are committed to providing you with more comfortable furniture options such as the cushioned booths on the second and third floors, with more to come. The Library Genie is creative and is always watching for opportunities to make visiting the HS/HSL a super experience for you.

Everly BrownEducation, People, University LifeJanuary 25, 20190 comments

Campus Climate Survey Coming in Mid-February

As a follow-up to a 2017 survey, UMB is launching a campus climate survey that will run between Feb. 18 and March 18, 2019.

The confidential survey will measure perceptions among segments of the University community on topics such as diversity and inclusion, job satisfaction, and campus environment.

Gallup, a respected research-based global consulting organization, is partnering with UMB on the project. When your invitation arrives from Gallup via email in the coming weeks, please take part in the brief survey. Your opinions will help UMB in its efforts to become a best place to work and learn. Your identity will be kept private by individual access codes.

Stay tuned for more on this survey, and thanks in advance for your participation.

Communications and Public AffairsPeople, Research, UMB News, University Administration, University Life, USGAJanuary 25, 20190 comments

Strengthening Anti-Harassment Policies and Practices

University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Jay A. Perman, MD, devoted his first quarterly Q&A of 2019 to the issues of Title IX and sexual harassment. Beyond questions, answers, and the start of a new dialogue on these important topics, Perman announced actions he’s taking to promote anti-harassment and gender-equity efforts across the University.

With an eye on short- and long-term results, Perman says he will form a task force to strengthen the University’s anti-harassment policies and practices as well as create a permanent committee to advise him on women’s issues, a group similar to the Diversity Advisory Council he formed that promotes inclusion initiatives at UMB.

“I intend to put forth these working groups in the next 30 days,” Perman told the audience of 100-plus students, faculty, and staff that attended the Q&A on Jan. 17 at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. “Our Diversity Advisory Council has moved the needle in terms of how we behave with one another and how we respect the differences among us. I regret not having the equivalent of a women’s advisory council, but now I will make that happen.”

Two of UMB’s core values — accountability and civility — are central to these issues and were touched upon throughout the hourlong discussion. In fact, to kick off the Q&A, Perman stood in front of a large screen displaying the seven values and held a framed poster that included their definitions.

“It might sound corny, but I look at this poster every day in my office,” he said. “When I came to UMB as president nine years ago, we put forth a strategic plan and decided it needs to stand on some core values. The matter of mistreatment, sexual harassment, and concerns about retaliation all relate to civility and accountability, but in fact this is a conversation about all of those values.

“I’m going to need the help of everybody on this campus in being committed to saying we live our core values as we tackle this problem. Because there is much work to be done.”

Perman was joined by two leaders in UMB’s Office of Accountability and Compliance (OAC) — Susan C. Buskirk, DM, MS, deputy chief accountability officer and assistant vice president, and Mikhel A. Kushner, JD, MSW, executive director, diversity and inclusion, and Title IX coordinator.

Buskirk said part of OAC’s mission is to respond to and investigate concerns about discrimination, sexual harassment, and Title IX, the law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that is federally funded. She urged the UMB community to seek out OAC on questions about compliance or ethics via an online consultation form or to report harassment concerns or incidents on the EthicsPoint hotline, a third-party website that is linked at the bottom of umaryland.edu webpages next to a whistle icon.

Saying he understands why many sexual harassment victims don’t come forward, Perman stressed the importance of the hotline, which protects anonymity but allows OAC to reply through a code that lets the complainant respond to follow-up questions if necessary or review the office’s report if one is generated.

“Too often in America victims become the villain, or they’re embarrassed to come forward, and I understand that,” Perman said. “With EthicsPoint, you can have your anonymity and still allow us a way to get back to you. When somebody stands up and complains, they have absolutely every right to get some feedback, and this is a way to do that.”

Kushner, the Title IX coordinator, says her job includes investigating reports of potential violations of the equity law and looking for patterns of discrimination within an institution but that her role goes well beyond those tasks. She described Title IX as a starting point toward taking a broader look at and discussion of discrimination and gender-equity issues.

“That’s why general conversations about civility like this are so important,” Kushner said. “The topic of sexual harassment affects every single person in this room. The conversation certainly can happen through a task force and an advisory committee, but it also needs to happen on the streets, in the hallways, and in our classrooms.”

After Buskirk and Kushner’s presentation, the floor was opened to questions. Several questioners raised the issue of accountability, saying they believed the University has fallen short in creating a harassment-free environment and responding to sexual harassment claims. Perman pledged to do better on both fronts.

“I certainly would acknowledge, for a variety of reasons, that we have not held people sufficiently accountable,” he said. “That’s why I’m standing in front of you. I feel that facts need to be put forward, people have a right to respond — because we are going to respect individual rights — but if wrongdoing is found, then there needs to be a corrective action.”

UMB’s efforts in this area come in the wake of the national #MeToo movement and the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) on Nov. 30 launching a “Program in Cultural Transformation,” a major restructuring of its senior leadership positions to ensure that women are represented at the highest levels of the school. The UMSOM program is designed to transform the school’s culture into a national model for a respectful, inclusive, and professional work environment.

With his initiatives, Perman hopes to engage the entire University community in this mission, and indeed a member of the UMB Staff Senate said that group already is working on a campaign to promote civility. Perman welcomed the Staff Senate’s input and asked for suggestions from faculty and students, too, as he forms the task force and advisory committee.

And in responding to a UMSOM student who hoped that the efforts would not be fleeting, Perman promised persistence.

“This is a dialogue, but it’s not a one-and-done dialogue,” he said. “This commitment to gender equity and anti-harassment needs to be in the fabric of our institution, in our DNA. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that happens. And where I’m falling short, I always count on the students to point it out.”

— Lou Cortina

Lou CortinaCollaboration, Education, UMB News, University Administration, University Life, USGAJanuary 25, 20190 comments

Staff Senate Hosting Build a Snowman Contest on Feb. 12

Are you interested in building a snowman without having to wait for the snow?

The Staff Senate is excited to host a Build a Snowman contest on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the SMC Campus Center, Room 208 (Elm A). The event begins at 10 a.m., with judging to start at 2 p.m.

The event will be held indoors, so rain, snow, or shine, we look forward to seeing you there!

All staff, faculty, and students are welcome to participate in the snowy activities and enjoy some hot drinks. Snow and accessories will be provided.

To sign up, please use this link.

Kaya SmithContests, University LifeJanuary 24, 20190 comments

P.G. County Executive Alsobrooks Is Keynote Speaker at MLK Event on Feb. 6

Over the next two weeks, The Elm will feature stories on the keynote speaker and the three Diversity Recognition Award winners leading up to UMB’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at MSTF Leadership Hall. You can register to attend the event here.

Today: Keynote speaker Angela Alsobrooks, JD ’96

Angela Alsobrooks has blazed an impressive trail in Prince George’s County, Maryland’s second-largest county, initially as its youngest and first female state’s attorney and now as its first female county executive, taking office in December 2018.

Along this pioneering path, Alsobrooks says she has been guided by the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., so it’s fitting that she will be the keynote speaker at the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration on Feb. 6.

Alsobrooks cites King’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” — in which the civil rights leader defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance and famously wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” — as an inspiration for her career in jurisprudence and public service.

“Dr. King dedicated his life to helping others, to doing things that are not always easy or always popular with others,” Alsobrooks says. “I have spent 20-plus years working as a public servant with the hope that I’ll be able to make decisions and create change now that will have an impact on our future generations, just as Dr. King did.”

Alsobrooks is a lifelong resident of Prince George’s County, but her time in Baltimore at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law holds a special place in her heart.

“It is an honor to speak on this great campus,” says Alsobrooks, who earned her undergraduate degree in public policy from Duke University in 1993 and graduated from Maryland Carey Law in 1996. “UMB is one of the places where I received the education that has helped me to achieve what I have so far in my career, and I am honored to be able to give back to the University in any way I can.

“It’s also always an honor to speak at an event honoring Dr. King, and this one is even more special because I am returning to a place that holds great significance and memories for me.”

After earning her law degree, Alsobrooks was hired in 1997 as Prince George’s County’s assistant state’s attorney, with a focus on prosecuting domestic violence cases. She won election in 2010 as state’s attorney, the county’s top prosecutor, and for eight years led the office tasked with prosecuting people accused of committing crimes in the county.

Beyond the courts, Alsobrooks led the fight to reduce domestic and family violence in the county, hosting conferences for children and families and developing training programs for clergy and others who counsel couples and families in crisis. In addition, she created a truancy reduction initiative and started a program designed to give low-level, nonviolent offenders a second chance in the community.

A single mother of a teenage daughter, she also has served as executive director of the Prince George’s County Revenue Authority and as the county’s education liaison, where among her initiatives were educational forums aimed at increasing parental involvement in schools.

“I always knew that I wanted to go into a career of public service,” Alsobrooks says. “I wanted to help others and give a voice to those who might not otherwise have one and ensure that everyone has a seat at the table where decisions that impact their lives are being made.”

In all her work, Alsobrooks maintains a strong commitment to diversity, calling it “one of our greatest strengths.”

“Being able to interact, work with, and learn from those who have different experiences than our own is what allows us to grow as a society,” she says. “When there is diversity and inclusion in anything that we do, it ensures that the needs and desires of all people are taken into account.”

— Lou Cortina

Learn more about UMB’s Black History Month Celebration and read about the 2019 Diversity Recognition Award winners.

Lou CortinaCollaboration, Education, People, UMB News, University LifeJanuary 24, 20190 comments

Parkers: Please Give Us Your Feedback

You may have noticed some recent garage changes around UMB, but parking is more than just garages. Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) would like to hear what you think about its website, organization, or anything else commuter-related so it can continue to improve.

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Dana RampollaUniversity LifeJanuary 23, 20191 comment

Behind-the-Scenes Poole Gets Day in Spotlight

Did you ever invite friends to your own surprise party without knowing it? This was the case for Saifa Poole, assistant to the senior vice president, who sent the email asking Office of the President staff to gather for an “important meeting” on Jan. 17.

Instead of University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Jay A. Perman, MD, updating the staff about new groups moving into the Saratoga Building, as the email invitation implied, he turned to Poole with a smile and said, “This is all about you. You are the UMB Employee of the Month for January.”

The 15 or so colleagues burst into applause before Perman detailed why Poole was being honored. Saying “I couldn’t say this better myself,” he read from the nomination turned into Human Resources by Jennifer Litchman, MA, senior vice president for external relations and special assistant to the president, to whom Poole has reported for the past 15 years.

Perman listed how Poole not only organizes the office, keeps everyone apprised of trainings, events, and initiatives of importance, processes paperwork but also tackles bigger projects, such as inspiring creation of UMB Professional Administrators Committed to Excellence (UMB PACE) and assisting co-workers inside and outside of the department — “always with a smile and a can-do attitude,” Perman said.

“I was doubly blessed when I was able to get Jennifer to come over here from the School of Medicine [in 2012] because you came, too,” Perman told Poole.

After accepting congratulations and posing for pictures, Poole answered some questions for this story. But not for long. She was due at Port Discovery to meet a busload of children in UMB’s A Kid’s Port to Discovery: Healthy Habits program, where UMB faculty and staff teach young people from West Baltimore about things like oral health, anatomy, and bullying and peer pressure coping mechanisms over five weeks, concluding with a certificate ceremony.

The next day Poole still “was a little shaky” about her newfound status as an Employee of the Month. “You all really pulled one over on me. I had no idea,” she said with a smile. “I don’t usually like surprises, but that was nice.”

Asked about her work ethic, which often keeps her at the office well past her assigned time, Poole credited her father and added, “That is who I am. I’m a person who likes to serve and help people. I do it in my family life, my personal life as well as work.”

At home, Poole cares for a sister who is intellectually disabled. “I’m from a BIG family. I’m one of 13 kids,” she said. “The tagline at our family reunions is ‘Cousins by the Dozens.’ My parents died when I was 13, so my older sister cared for my sister when she was in special ed schools. She’s been living with me for the past seven years because my older sister is having medical issues.”

So when a colleague at the University was having trouble hearing because he couldn’t afford to have his hearing aids fixed, Poole knew what to do.

“Some people have trouble understanding him but I can because of my sister. Our office always donates to a cause at Christmas, so when I told them about his situation, that his hearing aids were in the shop being repaired but it was going to take him a month or more to come up with the $100 or $150 to get them out, we had a great response and now he can hear again,” Poole said. “No matter what you ask him to do he does it with such pride and diligence that I took him under my wing.”

And when administrative assistants from all over the University kept calling her and asking the same questions, she knew what to do, too, forming UMB PACE. Now information about policies and procedures, tips on how to expedite purchasing orders and such are shared through meetings and a new website.

“Clara [Woodly, executive assistant to the president] and I hold high-level administrative positions at UMB,” Poole said of her colleague. “We were getting a lot of requests for the same information, and I thought maybe we could get a group of seasoned University administrators like most of the VP’s assistants, people who know UMB, who have been here a while and can guide and help others. I ran it by Jennifer and she said, ‘That’s a great idea and you can roll it out through UMBrella.’ ”

Litchman’s name comes up a lot when discussing Poole’s career. They worked together at the School of Medicine when Litchman was director of public affairs and then assistant dean. When Litchman came to the Office of the President, Poole soon followed, first working in Communications and Public Affairs, which Litchman supervises, and then the Office of the President.

“The reason I’m here at UMB is because of her. The reason I’ve stayed here is because of her,” Poole said of Litchman. ”She has mentored me, allowed me to grow, instilled confidence in me, and I just appreciate the freedom of creativity and her support for the endeavors that I pursue.”

Litchman raved about Poole’s growth as the Office of the President’s “go-to person” and her “generosity of spirit” — and ended her nomination by saying, “As far as I’m concerned, Saifa is employee of the day, week, month and year — every year.”

To say that Poole is giving of her time is an understatement. She’s also giving of her money, donating the $250 she received for being Employee of the Month to UMB’s Catalyst Campaign. “It’s not like it’s money I planned on having,” she said.

She will hold on to the award plaque, however, and was clearly touched by the recognition. “I was very humbled as well as honored. Again, this is my work family, they make it easy for me to come to work each day, and it is always great to know that people appreciate you.”

She was quick to share the good news with her home family as well. “When I went home last night I told my son, ‘Guess who you’re looking at? You’re looking at the UMB Employee of the Month!’ ”

— Chris Zang

Chris ZangEducation, People, UMB News, University LifeJanuary 23, 20190 comments

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